A/N: Although this is the part of Nico/Rachel prompt series I'm doing, it's more implied in this drabble. This one is mostly set-up for why Rachel/Nico (or Rachel/anyone to be honest) would be allowed to happen. Also, I'm aware this is the seventh chapter, but I'm listing it as prompt 8 bevausepi have already posted prompt 7. It's just that prompt 7 turned out to be suuuper long so I posted it separately (it's listed as The Way Times Change, prompt 7 was "fight,").
Apollo took a deep breath before raising a hesitant hand to knock on Rachel's door. He rapped his knuckles against the wood twice, letting his hand dangle in midair for a moment before falling to fiddle nervously with the hem of his shirt. He always hated this part. He always hoped someday a host for the Oracle would break the pattern, observing the rules so quickly he would not have to show up at her door and play the part of the stern, vengeful god.
Rachel opened the door with a grin that quickly faded as she realized who her visitor was. "Lord Apollo," she blinked as if in disbelief, her face quickly paling, "You never knock. You always just walk in and- Why did you-…."
The young girl trailed off, waiting for him to grin and make some stupid, juvenile remark or finish her sentences as he usually did. He just stood there, frowning, allowing the feeling of dread to accrue in her stomach. After another moment passed, she straightened up and set her mouth in a thin, determined line.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"We need to talk," he said solemnly, stepping inside her apartment.
An hour later, he was in a chair across from her feeling especially proud of himself for managing not to cringe throughout the discussion. Rachel, on the other hand, sat with her face in her hands, letting out cries of indignation, mortification, and amusement every time he paused in his lecture. It seemed a sign to Apollo that he ought to draw their talk to a close.
"That being said, I want you to remember how important it is to uphold the vows you swore to me," he said. "You are to remain a virgin so long as you host the Spirit. That means no boys…creeping into your apartment in the middle of the night─"
"That was one time and it was just to─"
"No exceptions."
The serious look on his face silenced her. He was never serious; he was Apollo. He laughed and joked and teased, but he never yelled. He never sat her down and lectured her about the sanctity of vows or the role she played. Seeing him so somber was enough to make her agree to his demands…but perhaps, not enough to make her completely compliant.
"I intend to keep my vows," she said. "I'll stay a virgin, I promise you that. But if Nico needs to come over at 3am to pick up something he left here…"
Apollo opened his mouth to ask why his things were in her apartment in the first place, but the glare she shot him was enough to remind him that Rachel Elizabeth Dare did not take kindly to being interrupted.
"…then he can do that. As long as I'm upholding my vows, it doesn't matter, right?"
He looked at her for a long moment after she had spoken. That was exactly why he hated giving that speech; she had a good point. All that mattered was that she was a virgin, in truth. If she wanted to have friends, to date, to do essentially anything short of the final act, he could hardly complain. She was maintaining her promise. But that did not mean he was comfortable with the idea. There had to be rules, there had to be regulations. He could not sit there and let her make the rules.
Just when he had decided what to say, Rachel looked at him beseechingly. "Please, Apollo? I have to have somefreedom."
The sun god let out a strangled groan of frustration. With those words and the expression she gave him, his resolve crumbled, as it had every other time he tried to set boundaries with the other Oracles. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a final sigh before sitting up straight and making his tone as authoritative as possible.
"Fine. But don't push it."